Rayovac parent hires a Dell exec to lead push into e-commerce.

Like many manufacturers of consumer goods, Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. has only gently tested the waters of e-commerce, lest it upset the retailers that sell its Rayovac batteries, Remington shavers, Kwikset locksets and other popular brands of household goods.

But Spectrum has decided to step up its profile on the web and has hired an e-commerce executive from computer maker Dell Inc. to lead the charge.

Robb Miller has joined Spectrum as vice president of global e-commerce. Miller had been employed at Dell since 2000, most recently as director of content for Dell.com.

“He will work across all our divisions on a global basis to create and develop an online business that the company doesn’t have to any degree at this point,” says a Spectrum Brands spokesman. “Our CEO, Dave Lumley, has publicly said that developing an e-commerce business is a high priority for the company and we will be putting additional investment into that this year.”

While Spectrum plans to expand its own online sales, the spokesman says Miller will also work closely with the many major retailers that sell its brands, including Amazon.com Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., to expand sales of Spectrum products on their e-commerce sites. Spectrum reported $3.25 billion in sales in its last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. It did not break out online sales, which the spokesman characterized as “small enough that we wouldn’t call it out.”